Theater chair



April 21, 1931. w HANSON 1,802,318

THEATER CHAIR Filed Feb. 26, 1930 I? is .2 I

22 2.5 INVENTOR.

WnZZ-er IZZTHZIrLsqn BY MG? M 69 ATTORNEYJL Patented Apr. 21, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER M. HANSON, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN SEATING COMPANY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORI'ORATION 01 NEW JERSEY THEATER CHAIR- Application filed February 26, 1930. Serial No. 431,856.

The present invention relates to chairs, particularly such as are employed in auditoriums, moving-picture theaters and the like; and its object is, generally, to provide an improved chair of that character whose seat and back may be easily moved relatively to each other to a position of use and therefrom to a position wherein greater space for access to the chair is attained; and to provide such a chair having a seat turnable to and from its usable position; and more particular, to provide improved mounting means for the seat whereby it may be moved forwardly-rearwardly and also turnably to and from usable position.

These and any other and more specific objects hereinafter appearing are attained by, and the invention finds preferable embodiment in, the structure hereinafter particularly described in the body of this specification and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a theater chair showing the parts in the position of use;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary rear view thereof;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the seat in retracted position in solid lines and in upwardly-turned position in dotted lines;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view (en-.

larged) of certain parts of the structure taken on line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a detail side view of certain parts; and

Figure 6 is a detail side view of certain other parts of the chair. 1

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by these drawings a theater chair is shown comprising spaced apart upright side frames 1 of identical construction whereon and between which the chair back 2, seat 3 and supporting means therefor are mounted, the back 2 being thus mounted at 4 swingably about the horizontal axis 4 approximately midway of its vertical length.

The seat 3 is supported by a air of opposite struts 5 mounted at 6 ad acent their lower ends on the lower part of the side pair of link members 7 are connected at 8 ad-.

jacent their rear ends, pivotally about a horizontal axis, to the back 2 below the mounting 4 thereof. The seat 3 has a pair of supporting arms or brackets 9 secured thereto as by screws 10, these arms being mounted on, 01' connected with, said link members respectively turnably about a horizontal axis.

A preferable form of seat-supporting means with the relatively swingable and turnable parts thereof is illustrated in Figure 4. As shown in this view, each link member 7 is swingably supported on the upper end of its adjacent strut 5 by a ball and socket joint comprising a ball 11 seated in a socket 12 in one side of the link member and in a corresponding socket 13 in the adjacent or inner side of the strut, in one or both of which sockets the ball bears turnably.

Each seat-supporting arm 9 is turnably supported on the front end of its adjacent link member 7 by a ball and socket joint comprising a ball 14 seated in a socket 15 in the opposite side of the link member 7 and in a socket 16 on the adjacent or inner side of the supporting arm 9.

The strut 5 and seat-supporting arm 9 are connected together, with the link member 7 therebetween, (in their assembled position shown in Figure 4) by opposite plates 17 and 18, the plate 17 bearing at its inner surface on the convex bearing portion 19 of the outer side of the strut and at its upper edge 20 on the link member; while the other plate 18 bears at its upper inner surface on the convex bearing portion 21 of the supporting arm.

A b0lt22 threaded in plate 17 and extending through plate 18 and spacedly through the link member at 23 may be turned by a wrench applied to its head 24 to create the desired frictional engagement between the strut, the supporting arm and the link member between them. The provision of the said ball socket joints and said convex bearing portions enables the parts to be assembled in properly working relation although there may be some inaccuracies in forming the bearings thereof, and also enables the side frames to be disposed in the non-paral1el relation requisite to arranging the chairs in circular rows of different radii. Stops are provided for limiting the turning movement of the seat, such as the ends of the arcuate slot 25 in the seat-supporting arm 9 (see Figure 5), the bolt 22 passing through this slot being located in such position as to engage these end stops and thus limit said turning movement of the seat. The said bolt also serves as a stop for limiting the swinging movement of the strut as shown in Figure 6.

In order to provide a bearing for the turning movement of the seat wider than is afforded by the ball and socket joint 14, 15, 16, an arcuate ball race is formed which extends concentricall with the axis of said turnin movement. gne half 26 of this race is formed in the side of the supporting arm 9 and the other half 27 thereof in the adjacent side of the link member 7 a ball bearing 28 moving in this race.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims, is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawin s or hereinbefore described.

claim;

1. A chair comprising: spaced upright side frames; a back mounted on the frames swingably about a horizontal axis; link members connected at their rear ends pivotally about a horizontal axis to the back below the mounting thereof; a seat having supporting arms turnably connected to the link members by ball and socket joints; struts mounted at their lower ends swingably about a horizontal axis and swingably connected at their upper ends to the link members by ball and socket joints; means for connecting a strut and a seat-supporting arm together with a link member therebetween, the link members and the seat-supporting arms having in their adjacent sides cooperating halves of arcuate ball races containing ball bearings.

2. A chair comprising: spaced upright side frames; a back mounted on the frames swingably about a horizontal axis; link members connected at their rear ends pivotally about a horizontal axis to the back below the mounting thereof; a seat having supporting arms turnably connected to the link members by ball and socket joints; struts mounted at their lower ends swingably about a horizontal axis and swingably connected at their up er ends to the link members by ball and soc 6i joints; means for connecting a strut and a seat-supporting arm together with a link member therebetween.

3. A chair comprising: spaced upright side frames; a back mounted on the frames swingably about a horizontal axis; link members connected at their rear ends pivotally about a horizontal axis to the back below the mounting thereof; a seat having supporting arms connected to the link members turnably about a horizontal axis and having stops limiting their turning movement; struts mounted at their lower ends swingably about a horizontal axisand connected at their upper ends swingably about a horizontal axis to the link members; means for connecting a strut and a seat-supporting arm together with a link member therebetween comprising opposite plates bearing on the strut and said arm respectively and a bolt extendin between said plates in a position engaging t e stop of said an? to limit the turning movement of the sea 4. A chair comprising: spaced u right side frames; a back mounted on the rames swingably about a horizontal axis; link members connected at their rear ends pivotally about a horizontal axis to the back below the mounting thereof; a seat having supporting arms connected to the link members turnably about a horizontal axis; struts mounted at their lower ends swingably about a horizontal axis and connected at their upper ends swingably about a horizontal axis to the link members, said arms and struts having convex bearing portions on their outer sides; means for connecting a strut and a supporting arm together with a link member therebetween comprising opposite plates bearing on said convex portions respectively, and a threaded bolt extending between said plates.

5. A chair comprising: spaced u right side frames; a back mounted on the rames swingably about a horizontal axis; link members connected at their rear ends pivotally about a horizontal axis to the back below the mounting thereof; a seat having supporting arms connected to the link members turnably about a horizontal axis; struts mounted at their lower ends swingably about a horizontal axis and connected at their upper ends swingably about a horizontal axis to the link members; means for connecting a strut and a seat-supporting arm together with a link member therebetween comprising connected opposite plates bearing on the strut and said arm respectively.

6. A chair comprising: spaced upright side frames; a back mounted on the frames swingably about a horizontal axis; link members connected at their rear ends pivotally about a horizontal axis to the back below the mounting thereof; a seat having supporting arms connected to the link membersturnably about a horizontal axis; struts mounted at their lower ends swingably about a horizontal axis and connected at their upper ends swingably about a horizontal axis to the link members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Grand Rapids, Michigan, this 22d day of February 1930.

WALTER M. HANSON. 

